Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1887-09-09
A SPARR0W'S NEST,
Ely MARY f. WILKINS,

sell what's to hinder our being turned
out on the street, if the rent isn't paid in
two weeks"
why, mother, you know Mr.. King
wouldn't do such thing as that. He
would wait little while. He has always
been real kind"
'People can't wait forever"
"Now, mother, don't sit here and wor-
ry about that all day."
Il can't help it. It's nothing but wor-
ry all the time, as far as l can see."
"Well, there isn't any use in it. Per-
haps l shall get the Elliot School, who
knows" Sarah said, laughingly.
"You won't. You might have, if Flor
ence Benton thought as much of you as
she pretended to once. Judge Benton
could get the place for you by lifting his
little finger. But that's always the way,
the poorer any one is and the more she
needs 1t, the less she has done for her. y
You're all discouraged this morning,
mother. Now don't sit here and fret and
make yourself sick. I've left everything
where you can getit and I'll come home
early and bring something nice for sup
per. What do you want?"
II don't want anything" sighed her
mother. Sarah Mayhem stopped and
kissed her, then she hurried away. 1t was
high time that she did. She had mile
to walk to her school, and it was already
balf-past eight.
1t was raining very hard when she
stepped out-of-doos. All the green tree
boughs tossed in mist, and the grasses
bent over, they were so heavy with rain
drops. The moment that she opened
the door, she could hear the great roar
OF the river at the east. 1t was very
high.
When she came to the Elliot School
house she looked at it longingly. 1t was a
noble brick building, and accommodated
several graded schools. There was short
ly to be vacancy in the corps of in
structors; the assistant principal of the
grammar school had resigned, the resig-
nation to take effect at the close of the
present term. Sarah had resolved to ap-
ply for the position, which meant six
hundred dollars a year, and the ability to
hire a pretty little tenement for herself
and mother, which stood vacant near the
school house.
Just after she passed the Elliot School
she met Florence Benton. There was a
strange young lady with her, probably
some school friend, she thought to her
self. She knew that Florence was home
on vacation; she attended boarding
school in neighboring city.
The two girls in their pretty gray wa
terproofs came tripping along, laughing
and talking in the rain. They held a
silk umbrella between them airily. Flor
ence's checks were lovely pink from
the damp, fresh wind her dark eyes
were radiant. She nodded in CAV,
careless way to Sarah, as they passed,
md did not stop talking to her friend.
Sarah plodded on, damp and shabby,
her resolute face pale. This was the first
time she had seen Florence since her re-
turn from school ; they had been gradual
ly drifting apart for two years. but this
was the farthest drift of all. Florence
had always stopped and greeted her
pleasantly, although she rarely visited
her nowadays. Sarah had told herself,
many time, that it was all natural
enough, and that Florence was not tc
blame. They had been almost like sis
tiers when they attended the village schoo
together. Sarah had been at home in
Florence's house, and Florence in hers
but now, of course, it must be different
FLORENCE was in a city boarding-school
ehe was forming new acquaintance with
girls who were of her own social stand
ing. She could not have as much in com
mon with Sarah Mayhem, and Saral
Mayhem ought not to expect it nor fee
burt.
As she went on, the roar of the rive,
grew louder; the road curved more and
more in its direction. Sarah's little
schoo-house, which was in an OUTLYING
district of the village, was peculiarly
situated. 1t stood in meadow in al
angle formed by the junction of brook
known as "Stony Brook" with tn,
river. The brook was an inconsiderabl,
stream, although it worked a grist-mill
and boosted of dam two miles above
However, the flood of to-day would
swell the tiniest rill, and Sarah, as sh,
drew near her school house, could hea
the little angry song of the brook besid,
the roar Of the river.
She doubted if she would find pu
Pill there, the nearest lived half a mil,
away; but eight were assembled, fiv,
boys and three girls. The oldest DO,
was nine, the youngest girl five. He
name was Bessie Morton; she was
pretty, black-eyed little thing. Sh
had come under the guardianship of he
older BROTHER but Sarah wondered hoy
her mother had happened to let her.
Sarah built fire in the little DO!
stove, so the children could dry thei
wet clothes, then she begun the usua
exercises of the school. 1t seemed almos
farce with this number of pupils bu
Sarah was punctilious in the discharge o
her duties; and, moreover, the schoo
committee and the parents of this dis
trict were somewhat exacting. SaraI
knew that, if they sent their children t.
school, they would expect them to b
regularly and faithfully taught.
1t was half an hour before noon. Saral
was about to call the scholars out on TIN
floor to spell when suddenly they begal
whispering excitedly. She thumped he
ruler upon the desk, but they paid no at
tention. A boy near the window hac
arisen and was looking out, and gesticu
lating wildly All at once the other chill
dren left their seats and rushed towar,
him, pressing wildly up to the window
Sarah brought her ruler down on he
desk again.
"Childrenv' she cried out, sternly
"what does this mean2"
They answered her with piteous cry
go teacher, teacher! Come here, com
here quick just look. The water til
waterl It's all around the school
house!''
Sarah went quickly to the nearest win
dow and saw that tha Yneadou mo